Bleach: Legend of Heroes
by Kilvakar
Summary: Ichigo has regained his powers, and life has returned to normal (sort of). But an ancient evil from another world threatens to destroy all that he and his friends have worked for! Fortunately, another mighty hero has been sent to help them! Bleach/Legend of Zelda crossover. Rated T for light swearing and the perverted behavior of certain Bleach characters ;)
1. Chapter 1: A Strange Spiritual Pressure!

**Bleach: Legend of Heroes**

Ok, so this is my very first ever fanfic, and it's a crossover too, so I hope I'm not over-reaching here. And just a warning, this is a long introduction section, lol!

This story takes place after the Fullbring arc in Bleach, but before the Thousand-Year Blood War arc.

As for the Legend of Zelda half of the story, I'm basing it off of Twilight Princess and will be using the characters from that game. In this story, Link has already defeated Gannondorf and Hyrule is at peace (at least, for now…)

Notes on terminology and characters: I've read the Bleach manga and watched the anime, so I know all about the differences between the two, but I'm just a geeky American, so I prefer the anime. So that's why I'll be using terms like "Soul Reaper" and "spiritual pressure" instead of "Shinigami" and "reiatsu," and will also probably use some of the anime-only characters. I hope that doesn't bother anyone

I promise that I will finish what I start, so if you like the story, please review and give advice/constructive criticism. I will not abandon the story! I have a basic plotline planned out in my head, but if anyone has any ideas/suggestions, please speak your mind!

The main pairings are LinkXZelda and IchigoXOrihime (sorry IchiRuki fans, but Renji has dibs on Rukia:D), but if anyone has any suggestions for other pairings I'd love to hear them! NO YAOI/YURI, though.

I'm going to try and feature all of the main Bleach and Zelda characters, but if someone wants to give a specific character a shout-out, feel free! OCs are more than welcome, especially in the Zelda universe, because there are so many unnamed characters there!

And finally, the disclaimers! As much as I would like to pretend that I own Bleach and Legend of Zelda, I own neither. Which is sad, really…

**Chapter 1: A Strange Spiritual Pressure Appears!**

Ichigo Kurosaki sighed as his eyes cracked open after a ling night's sleep. However, before he could fully open his

eyes or even yawn, he heard a familiar but still incredibly disturbing voice calling out to him. "Gooood… morniiiing…

ICHIGOOO!" Ichigo screamed, more out of surprise than fear, as his reflexes honed by years of awakening like this

one sprang into action and he threw his body to one side, tumbling out of bed in the process. Ichigo's father, Isshin

Kurosaki landed feet first on the spot on the bed where Ichigo had just been. "Aha! Quick reflexes!" Isshin

exclaimed. "But let's see if you can handle my flying… Oof!" His father's sentence was cut short as a now fully awake

(and very ticked off) Ichigo landed a jumping side kick in his face, sending him slamming into the wall next to the

bed. "Are you crazy!?" shouted Ichigo. "Why the hell are you always attacking your own son while I'm sleeping?"

Isshin quickly untangled himself from the sheets and shouted back into his son's face. "Don't give me that! You

were sleeping in again, and now you're gonna be late for school if you don't get your butt downstairs in a hurry!"

This statement only angered Ichigo even more and the two of them started trading a flurry of wild punches.

As father and son brawled, Ichigo's sisters, Karin and Yuzu stepped into the doorway. Yuzu called out to the pair.

"Aww, come on guys, stop fighting and come and get breakfast before it gets cold again!" "You're wasting your

breath, Yuzu." Karin said as she sighed in resignation. "Dad's always been crazy, and always will be." Isshin turned

and gave his eldest daughter a wounded look. "Oh Karin, how could you say something so cruel to you loving dad?"

he whimpered. Ichigo took advantage of the momentary distraction and landed a solid punch on his father's face,

knocking him to the floor. As Isshin held his now bleeding nose with both hands, Ichigo turned to his sisters and

said: "I'll be right down for breakfast, go ahead and start without me." Karin and Yuzu nodded and both headed

down the stairs toward the dining room. Isshin quickly followed, calling out to his daughters while still holding one

hand over his nose. "Wait for me, girls! Having breakfast together at the table is an important family tradition that

your mother wouldn't want us to forget."

Ichigo slumped down on the side of his bed. A moment later, his closet door slid open and Rukia Kuchiki stepped

out. She was already dressed in her school uniform and appeared bright and energetic as always. "Well," she

remarked, "you and your family seem to be getting along just a wonderfully as always." Ichigo couldn't tell if she

was being serious or sarcastic, but with Rukia it was always hard to tell. Suddenly he realized that Rukia had been

sleeping in his closet again. "Hey, what the hell are you doing in my closet again? Didn't my family say you could

stay in Yuzu's room whenever you came to visit?" Rukia's expression changed to a mixture of coyness and surprise.

"But I just bought a new mirror to hang on the wall, and look at this." She reached into the closet and pulled out a

mini lamp with a cartoonish looking plastic rabbit head for the dome. "It's the brand-new Chappy night-lamp! I put a

lot of work into making your closet into a livable space, and now it's like a second home for me." "Second home my

ass!" growled Ichigo. "You just like to annoy me on purpose, don't you!?"

Before the conversation could continue any further, Ichigo and Rukia were interrupted by a familiar voice. "Would

you be quiet Ichigo? I'm trying to get some sleep here!" Ichigo turned and noticed Kon standing on his dresser,

having just woken up. Kon was about to berate Ichigo some more, but when his eyes landed on the object of (most

of) his fantasies, his mood changed immediately. He leapt from the dresser as fast as his stuffed plushy legs could

carry him and bounded towards Rukia. "Oh Rukia, you came back! It's so good to see you, not to mention your

sweet…" before he could make his usual perverted remarks, Rukia greeted Kon in her usual manner by stomping

him to the ground. While Rukia continued to stamp her foot on the unfortunate stuffed lion's face, Ichigo's

Substitute Soul Reaper combat pass began to sound an alarm. Rukia let up on stomping Kon and looked at Ichigo.

He knew without her having to use words what she was about to say, as the Substitute Soul Reaper of Karakura

town, it was his duty to defeat the hollow that had just appeared.

Ichigo grabbed Kon and slapped the combat pass against his body, causing the soul candy in which Kon's soul

actually resided to be expelled, and quickly popped the round green object into his mouth. Ichigo called out to Kon

(now in Ichigo's body) as he and Rukia climbed out the window. "Cover for me in class, alright? And you'd better not

get my body into trouble while I'm gone, I mean it!" Ichigo and Rukia launched into the air as Kon sat watching,

though his thoughts were already moving toward all the fun he planned to have in Ichigo's body while he was away

fighting hollows.

"Getsuga TENSHO!" Ichigo finished off the last hollow, a flying ape-like beast, with Zangetsu's signature attack. As

the creature evaporated into spirit particles, Ichigo sheathed his massive Zanpakuto and turned to look at Rukia,

who just moments earlier had struck down another hollow with her Zanpakuto, Sode no Shirayuki. Rukia, of course,

had not needed to use her shikai during this battle, but Ichigo's Zangetsu was always in its released form. Rukia

smiled at Ichigo and congratulated him. "Well, you're not getting rusty at least, although I don't see why you

needed to use getsuga tensho when you could just as easily have taken that hollow out without it." Ichigo smiled

back. After all they'd been through, Rukia still felt the need to act like his Soul Reaper coach. "Of course I didn't need

to use it. I just felt like it, that's all." Rukia wouldn't give up ground so easily. "Well, you should know by now that

it's not a good idea to release that much spirit energy without good reason, you never know what it might attract."

Ichigo was frowning now. "Well hey, it's not like I used bankai or anything like that. You need to lighten up

sometimes." Rukia's face twisted into a look of indignant rage, but before she could make another remark, her

breath was suddenly cut short.

Almost the same instant, Ichigo felt it too. A strange, powerful spiritual pressure, so powerful it was almost

overwhelming. Ichigo and Rukia looked at each other in confusion. "Is that…another hollow?" Ichigo sputtered.

"No." Rukia answered. "That's not the spiritual pressure of a hollow. Ichigo, we need to be very careful, that

spiritual pressure is easily at Captain-level."

Ichigo looked startled at this statement. _How could a presence that powerful appear without warning like that?_ "Rukia,

go tell Kisuke what's going on, I'll go on ahead and investigate." Rukia looked angrily and her friend, who was

obviously trying to get her away from potential danger. "You idiot," she half-shouted. "You always think that

whenever something dangerous happens, you have to deal with it alone! If we can feel that spiritual pressure, I'm

sure Kisuke already knows about it. I'm going with you and that's that!" As soon as she finished, Rukia narrowed

her eyes and glared at Ichigo, who only sweatdropped in response.

But before either of them could say more, their banter was interrupted by the appearance of a more familiar

spiritual pressure, which caused them both to draw their zanpakuto. "Damn, more hollows!" shouted Ichigo. "I

guess we'll have to deal with them before we can investigate that other presence." said Rukia. The two Soul

Reapers turned and began to focus their attention once again on their eternal foes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: A Hero Rises Again**

_Link..._

_ Link..._

_ LINK!_

Link was jolted awake as he fell out of bed and landed with a loud thud on the hard wooden floor. He looked up to see Beth, Talo and Colin standing over him. "Hey!" he shouted. "You don't always have to yell so loud to wake me up, you know!" "We wouldn't have to yell if you didn't sleep like such a mossy log." Talo shot back. "You're the laziest person I've ever seen. We have to yell otherwise you'd just lay there all day long." Link could only look sheepish at this statement, he was known for sleeping in later than anyone else in Ordon village. He picked himself up off the ground and stretched his arms. "Well, I'm awake now, so what's going on?" Colin looked down bashfully as he spoke. "Well, today's the day you promised to train with Talo and I." Talo started jumping up and down in excitement. "Yeah! My dad says I'm almost old enough to get my own sword! I'm gonna be the champion defender of Ordon village! Maybe someday we'll even become knights of Hyrule!" "Calm down, Talo!" Beth interjected. "It takes years of training to qualify to be a knight of Hyrule. You'll have to practice night and day for AGES! Well, unless you're like Link, who's just a natural hero." The look Beth gave Link made him even more embarassed, so he smiled and said "Well, you're not going to learn anything standing around my bed, so let me get ready and I'll meet you all at Ordon Ranch!" With that, the three children dashed out of his house and ran down the road towards the ranch where Link still helped Fado herd goats from time to time, when not tending to his duties as Hyrule's champion and protector.

Link sighed as his three younger friends left. He was happy that they had kept their youthful enthusiasm despite everything that had happened to them during the war against Zant and Gannondorf. It had only been a year since he and Zelda had defeated Gannondorf and brought peace to Hyrule. Although rebuilding was sometimes harder than they would have hoped, all the peoples of the land had really pulled together in the wake of the destruction caused by the power of the Twilight Realm merging with the Light Realm. The Gorons had helped tremendously with the repairs to Castle Town, and the Zora had been sending a constant flow of supplies and willing hands down the river from their watery domain. Kakariko village had been fully repaired and was now growing into a booming center of commerce, led by none other than Malo, Talo's younger brother, who despite being barely out of his toddler years was already considered one of the best businessmen in all of Hyrule.

Link got dressed in his usual Ordonian clothing, he preferred not to wear his hero's armor in public except when he was needed for official business at the castle or for the occasional monster slaying expedition, but those were becoming rarer and rarer these days. It seemed that while evil could never be completely banished from the world, it had been pushed back far from Hyrule. Even the Bulblins were becoming more peaceful now, ever since King Bulblin had sworn to serve Link they had been trying their best to get along with the other races. Link, of course, took no credit for any of it. Despite all that had happened he was still the same kind, gentle and humble soul he had been before the mantle of the hero was passed to him. Of course, people still treated him differently. When he walked through Castle Town the people would all smile and wave. Everyone moved out of his way when he walked down the street, and despite his insistance against it, he was never allowed to pay for a meal at the tavern or or snack at one of the market stalls. The exception to this rule was Malo Mart, where he was always expected to pay full price. He sometimes found himself _relieved_ to go shopping at the little brat's annoyingly cheesy store just to be treated like a normal customer. Girls would giggle and squeal if he looked at them (so he REALLY tried not to), and guys were always trying to shake his hand or slap him on the back (which, if the guy was a Goron, was an especially painful experience). Even the people of his hometown of Ordon village attempted to wait on him hand and foot, which embarrased Link to no end.

So Link was always happy when he got to spend time with his friends, just like they used to before he became the Hero of Hyrule. Colin had been training hard with the sword and shield ever since he'd returned to Ordon village, and while he was nowhere near being as skilled as Link, was making excellent progress. Talo still admired Link for his now legendary skills, and he had also been training with the sword, although he displayed a natural talent with the bow. Beth now spent most of her time with Colin, and Malo, of course, was hardly ever seen in Ordon due to the runaway success of his Malo Mart stores.

Link armed himself with his Ordon sword and shield that Rusl had made for him after he placed the Master Sword back into it's pedestal. He had given the original Ordon sword to Colin after he returned to he village, and he was certain at the time that his younger friend almost fainted out of a combination of admiration and embarssement. Although Link would have been perfectly content to never have had to use a sword again, Rusl insisted on forging him a new weapon, and sometimes he would still meet with the former resistance members for training. He stepped outside and climbed down the ladder from his house and decided to check on Epona before heading over to the ranch. As usual, his loyal steed was being tended to by Ilia, who still spent more time with her than Link most of the time, which he really didn't mind. When last he talked to Ilia, she had said that she was going to take Epona to Ordon Spring for a while, so Link set off into the woods towards the spirit's sacred waters.

When he arrived at the spring, Link saw Ilia standing next to Epona ankle deep in the clear water. She smiled at him as he aproached. Link walked up to her and decided to tease her just a little. "I hope she hasn't been giving you to much trouble." he said. Ilia looked slightly offended at this remark. "Link," she said, "Epona is the bravest and most well behaved horse in Hyrule, of course she hasn't been any trouble. And you're one to talk, seeing as how I'm the one who takes care of her for you most of the time anyway." "Actually," Link replied, "I was talking to Epona." Ilia looked annoyed just for a split second, and then broke into a soft laugh. Link chuckled a little himself and then spoke again. "Actually, I was going to take her out to Fado's ranch today, I'm going to be training with Colin and Talo and I'm sure Fado could use some help with the goats while we're there." Ilia continued smiling as she replied. "That sounds nice, Link, just make sure you take it easy on those jumps, Epona deserves a brake from all the rough riding for once." Link mentally rolled his eyes, but couldn't help but smile back and nod at her in response. After everything he'd gone through to rescue her, Ilia still loved to harass him about his horse. He didn't really mind, and he was grateful that at least with Ilia things were pretty much the same between them as before he'd become the chosen hero. Ilia passed the reins over to Link, and as he prepared to get in the saddle, a sudden flash of white light surprised them

Immediately, Link's defensive instincts took over. His right hand spun around to grab the shield from his back while his left hand went up to grip his sword's handle. But as he was about to draw his weapon, a familiar feeling came over him. Link suddenly realized that the light was that of the Light Spirit Ordona, the being who resided in the spring and protected all of Ordona Province. Link relaxed and his hands dropped back down to his sides, but he was still extremely puzzled by the Spirit's appearance. Both he and Ilia turned and looked as an orb of light drifted up from the pool and materalized into what looked like suspiciously like a supernatural version of a common Ordon goat, with an orb of light suspended between it's horns. The Spirit turned toward them and spoke with a pleasant, ethereal voice. _"Link, hero chosen by the Goddesses,"_ Link stepped forward and answered "I'm here, Ordona, what do you need of me?" _"Link,"_ the Light Spirit replied, _"You are needed. A great evil is stirring in Hyrule, one that we have not seen before."_ Ilia grabbed hold of Link's arm when she heard this. The Spirit continued speaking. _"You must go to Hyrule Castle at once, Princess Zelda awaits you there."_

Before Link could rely or ask any questions, a loud, unearthly sound caused both he and Ilia to cover their ears. Directly above them, a jagged black hole appeared as if the very air had been ripped open. This time Link finished drawing his sword and shield as he readied himself for whatever might appear. He didn't have to wait long, for seconds later a hideous face appeared. The creature looked like a grotesque toad with long legs and arms. It's face was covered with a white mask that looked like a boar's head with two massive tusks. Link couldn't tell if that was what it's face really looked like or if there was something else hidden underneath. As the creature stepped through the portal, it let out a ear-splitting roar. Epona whinnied in fear and reared up, but Ilia grabbed her reins and held her head. Link shouted out at the monster. "Whatever you are, you'd better go back where you came from! I'll only tell you once!" To Link's suprise, the monster spoke. "Hmmm, that man was right, I smell a particularly tasty soul, I'm going to enjoy this!" "What do you mean, a tasty soul?" Link shouted back. "You're not going to eat anyone's soul while I'm around!" He raised his shield and readied his sword. The creature laughed at Link. "Hahaha, you think you can do anything with that pathetic little toy sword? Fortunately for you, your soul is by far the most appetizing I can smell. After I devour you, you won't have to suffer seeing your companions become my next meals!"

With that, it lunged forward with it's mouth wide open. Link raised his shield just as the monster's jaws were about to close around him. Instead, it bit down on the shield. Link swung his sword with all his strength at the creature's face. The blade sheared through one of the tusks and embedded itself in the mask. The creature roared in pain and suprise and pulled it's head back sharply. The sword, still embedded in the mask, was ripped from Link's hand. Still roaring, the monster swung it's clawed hand at Link, who deflected it with his shield. The monster stepped back and reached up to grab the sword stuck in it's mask. It pulled it out, causing small pieces of it's mask to break off along with it. It threw the sword at Link, who doged it with a quick sidestep to the right. In the same instant, the monster clenched his fist and threw a punch at Link. Link, who had just sidestepped the sword, now launched himself into a backflip, barely managing to dogde the second blow. "You're a quick little insect," the monster growled. "But you can't dodge me for long. You're just a Human, you're no match for a Hollow."

_"So, that thing's called a Hollow?" _Link thought to himself. _"It sure has a bigger mouth than most monsters. But that mask sure is wierd." _He glanced at his sword, which was now sticking in the ground with the handle just barely above the water at the Hollow's side. _"I need to get a hold of my sword again, I don't have any of my other equipment with me."_ Link didn't have any more time to think, as the Hollow was about to attack again. It roared and lunged forward, intending to finish it's prey off with another bite. But this time, Link lunged forward himself and lept under the Hollow's gaping jaws. He rolled and landed on his knees right next to his sword. The Hollow twisted it's body sideways and flailed at Link with it's right arm. But this time instead of blocking with his shield, Link grabbed the handle of his sword and with one motion pulled it from the ground and swung it at the Hollow's arm. The Ordon blade cut through the monster's flesh and sliced the arm off at the elbow. The Hollow roared once again in pain and stunned suprise. Before it's arm even hit the ground, it vaporized into black particles and vanished. Now Link took the offensive, and charged the Hollow. It tried to swipe at Link with it's remaining arm, but Link thrust his shield out and knocked it back. He lept into the air with his sword raised over his head, and with a loud shout he brought it crashing down, slicing clean through the Hollow's mask and splitting it's head in two.

The Hollow disintegrated and vanished, leaving Link and Ilia standing alone in the Spirit's spring once again. Link rushed over to Ilia, who had run to the far side of the spring with Epona and was still trying to calm the horse down. "Are you ok?" he asked. "I'm...I'm fine." Ilia replied after catching her breath. "I guess I should be used to monster attacks by now, huh?" She tried her best to smile, despite the fact that her heart was still racing. Link was in no smiling mood, however. That Hollow, if that was what it was called, seemed frighteningly similar to the shadow beasts that he'd fought during the Twilight Invasion. After Midna shattered the Mirror of Twilight, Zelda had set the best scholars in Hyrule to investigating the possibility of another gateway between the two worlds. All of them had come up with nothing. But if this Hollow was from the Twilight Realm, that meant that something had gone wrong over there, and not only would Hyrule be in danger, but now Link wondered if the Twili and their princess were in danger as well. He clasped Ilia's hand and spoke urgently. "Get back to the village, tell everyone to get inside and arm themselves. I'll take Epona over to the ranch and check on the others. Ilia nodded and started to run back toward Ordon Village. She turned back and said, "Link, you be careful too, ok?" Link gritted his teeth and nodded, and she turned again and ran down the path.

Link grabbed Epona's saddle and swung himself up onto her back. But as he prepared to leave, the Spirit's light appeared again. Ordona rose up from the spring and spoke _"Link, you must go at once to Hyrule Castle, your friends will be safe. That creature called a Hollow was a spirit being. Now that I can identify it's presence, I can prevent any more from entering my domain, for now. But the power that caused the Hollow to appear grows stronger, and my fellow Light Spirits and I will not be able to keep them at bay forever. Go now, chosen hero. My power wiil trasnport you to Hyrule Castle. You must defeat the evil that rises in the darkness. We know you will not fail, Link."_ With that, a blinding flash of light eminated from the Spirit's light, and when Link opened his eyes, he was standing in the courtyard of Hyrule Castle. "Well," he thought, "I didn't think I'd be warping like that again. I wonder where Princess Zelda is? The Spirit said she'd be..." His thoughts were cut short as he looked toward the great door to the castle throne room. Princess Zelda was standing at the foot of the staircase that led up to the door. Link couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked in her royal dress. He hadn't known her at all before the Twilight Invasion, but since then the two of them had become close friends. She smiled at him and held out her hand.

"Link, thank you for coming on such short notice. I hope that the Light Spirit Ordona wasn't too much trouble." Link, who hadn't quite recovered from the suprise of his battle with the Hollow and his sudden transport to the castle, just shook his head. Then he remembered her outstretched hand and took it somewhat awkwardly and bowed his head in respect. Zelda gently touched Link on the cheek with her other hand, causing him to twitch slightly as his face suddenly turned visibly red. Link stood up straight and swallowed, and Zelda laughed softly. "Link, you know you don't have to be so formal with me, you _are_ the Hero of Hyrule, after all." Link looked down at his feet and scratched the back of his head, trying to hide his embarrasment. "Uh, ok Pr.. I mean Zelda." As he regained his composure, his voice became more serious as he looked at Zelda directly. "So, Zelda, do you know what's going on? There was this monster at Ordon Spring that came through a portal just like the ones made by Twili magic, but it said it was called a Hollow and it wanted to eat my soul!" Zelda's smile dissappeared as she replied. "There is something strange going on, and I don't know exactly what it is yet, but I believe we are about to be invaded from another world again. These monsters called Hollows have been appearing all over Hyrule. I've recieved reports from the Gorons of Death Mountain of Hollows attacking their people in the mines, and Prince Ralis of the Zora says that his people have seen them in their domain as well. The one you encountered is the first that has been reported in Ordona Province, but the Light Spirits have told me that they can hold back the Hollows, at least for now." "But where are they coming from?" asked Link. "That is why I summoned you here." Zelda replied. "We have a...visitor, who claims to be from another realm himself. I believe he can explain things better than I can."

Zelda and Link walked into the throne room. As they aproached the royal throne, Link noticed a man standing in the shadows behind the throne. The stranger stepped forward and addressed them. "Link, hero of Hyrule, thank you for coming." _"That's the second time someone's said that to me today." _Link couldn't help but think to himself. But his attention was drawn to the strange man standing in front of them. It was hard to distinguish any of his features, since he was covered from head to toe in a black robe and hood. The man continued speaking. "I know you must have many questions, but I must admit that I'm still trying to piece together the facts myself. All I can say for sure right now is that a powerful being from this world has somehow found a way to cross into another realm known as Hueco Mundo. This is the realm of the creatures you now know as Hollows. The person from this world has somehow gained control over the Hollows, and is now sending them out to attack souls in both this world and my own. If we are to defeat this evil power, it's going to take the combined efforts of the heroes from both of our worlds, and that's why I've come here." Link and Zelda were both somewhat suprised as the stranger kneeled down as he continued to speak. "I have come to ask for your help, Link. Please come with me and help defeat this new evil!" Link stepped forward, but as he did thoughts of all those who depended on him here in Hyrule crossed his mind. He glanced at Zelda, who guessed his thoughts immediately. She smiled at Link and said; "Do not worry, Link. You must go and fight whatever is threatening Hyrule. Everyone here will be fine, I still have the Triforce of Wisdom, remember? And I know you will defeat whatever is causing these monsters to appear. You defeated Gannondorf, the most powerful evil force in the world. Whoever is behind this is no match for you at all."

Link smiled back and turned to face the stranger. "Ok, I'll do it. I'll go with you, and together we'll defeat whoever, or whatever, is making those Hollows appear. I will protect all of Hyrule, and I won't return until everyone is safe!" The stranger stood up once more, and even though most of his face was obscured Link could see his mouth break out into a satisfied grin. "Well, well, I must say you're every bit as strong and determined as I hoped you'd be. Link, you remind me of a former pupil of mine, you sounded just like him there. Well, if Princess Zelda doesn't mind me stealing you away for a while, I guess now's as good a time as any for us to get going." "Wait," said Link, while looking at the stranger intently. "Before we start on this mission, or quest, or...something, at least tell me your name." The stranger lowered his head, and Link could feel his eyes staring back at him even though he coudn't see them. Then he reached up and pulled back his hood. "My name...is Kisuke. Kisuke Urahara."

**Woo hoo! My second chapter finally done! I didn't realize it when I started, but it's harder to write for Link and Co. than it is for the Bleach characters, on account of there being much less dialogue in Legend of Zelda :P Hope it turned out ok! I'm going to work on this story til it's finished, and that's a promise, so please read and review and let me know how I'm doing!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Through the Black Hole**

**Hello everyone! I'm sorry it's taken so long for me to get this chapter out, but I mean it when I say I'm going to see this tale through to the end. I've been playing through Twilight Princess again, just to refresh myself on the feel of the characters and the world itself. Also, I just got the latest English dubbed Bleach DVD, so between the two I've been having a blast :D**

**Anyways, I don't own Bleach or Legend of Zelda. Enjoy!**

"My name is Kisuke Urahara." Link regarded him closely. He was definitely a mysterious type, but then again, the first time he'd met Princess Zelda she had been wearing almost the same type of disguise. Despite his cryptic garb and the way he stared at Link with an almost mischievous smile, the Hero of Hyrule couldn't detect any malice behind his words. He turned to look at Zelda, hoping to see what she thought of their strange visitor and his request. She clearly guessed his thoughts, and spoke

"Link, I know this is sudden, and I also know it is much to ask of you to leave this world yet again to fight this evil, but I trust this man. He has told me much about his home, and the evil that now threatens it. I will not force you, hero. But I know you, and if you are the man I think you are, I believe you have probably already made up your mind."

Link couldn't help but blush a little. It was true; Zelda certainly knew that while he had been happy to return to a simple life after defeating Gannondorf. But he still had the same selfless, noble spirit that compelled him to help those in need, even if he didn't know them. He looked back at Kisuke and held out his hand.

"I will go with you, Kisuke Urahara. I pledge my sword to defeat this evil that threatens your world."

Kisuke grinned and quickly stood up and with a quick flourish he removed the cloak. He swept it behind him and in the same movement he pulled out a brightly striped green and white hat. He placed the hat on his head and then produced a white paper fan. He flipped open the fan and held it in front of his face as he spoke.

"Excellent! I knew I could count on you, Link!"

Link stood there for a moment with his hand still hanging out in the air (and his mouth slightly open). Underneath his cloak, Kisuke was wearing green trousers and a green wrap-around shirt that exposed a lot of his rather hairy chest. Over that he wore a green coat with a white diamond pattern bordering the sleeves and the bottom. Link also noticed that instead of regular boots or shoes he wore a strange-looking pair of wooden sandal-clogs. He pointed with his cane at Link's sword.

"One quick question: are you sure that's the weapon you want to bring along on your heroic quest? From what I hear, you have a much better weapon hidden away somewhere."

"You know about the Master Sword?" asked Link.

"Indeed I do." replied Kisuke. "I also know that if you're going to be of any use on this quest, you're going to need it."

"Why is that?"

"Well, let me explain a few things. Here in Hyrule, your skills as a swordsman are legendary. And while I'm sure that your techniques with the blade are far superior to most warriors even in my world, things are quite different there. Without the Master Sword and your Hylian shield, you would stand little chance against the foes you will undoubtedly face."

"What do you mean?"

"First of all, take a look at my sword."

Kisuke gripped the handle of his cane and drew out a long, thin blade.

"_Clever of him, disguising his sword like that." _thought Link. _"But why bother hiding his weapon like that?"_

"Take a good look Link, this is my sword. I am what in my world is called a Soul Reaper. Soul Reapers are an elite group charged with protecting the souls in the World of the Living. When a person dies, a Soul Reaper is supposed to guide them into the next life using their sword and a technique called konso, after which they go to a place called the Soul Society. Soul Reapers are also responsible to protect the Soul Society itself from threats. Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, not all souls pass on to the Soul Society. Some souls are tormented by pain or regrets, and before a konso can be performed, these souls transform into creatures called Hollows.

"Wait," Link interjected. "That thing that attacked us at the Spirit's Spring, it said it was a Hollow. Are you saying that monster was actually the soul of a dead person from your world?"

"Unfortunately, that is exactly what it was. You see, when a soul becomes a Hollow, they become consumed with a hunger for the souls of the living. Hollows seek out and devour the souls of Humans in our world, and those whose souls they consume become Hollows themselves. That is where the Soul Reapers come into play again. You see, a Soul Reaper's blade is called a Zanpakuto. Translated into Hyrulean, it means "soul-cutting sword." These weapons are not only capable of sending Human souls to the next life, they can also purify the souls of Hollows and allow them to enter the Soul Society as well. When a Soul Reaper strikes down a Hollow with his Zanpakuto, he is not killing that creature. In fact, he's actually saving the Hollow's soul from its tortured existence and allowing that soul to find peace in the Soul Society."

"That's fascinating," said Link. "But what does that have to do with why I need the Master Sword? I already defeated a Hollow with just my sword that Rusl forged for me."

"I was just getting to that part." Kisuke replied. "Each Zanpakuto is a unique weapon. The sword is bonded to its master, but Zanpakuto have spirits of their own. Each Zanpakuto is a unique individual, with its own thoughts, goals, and personality. That means that each Zanpakuto has its own name. When a Soul Reaper learns the name of his Zanpakuto, he can draw out the weapon's true power by calling out its name."

Here Kisuke held up his cane sword and called out: "Awaken, Benihime!" Link and Zelda both gasped as the cane sword transformed into a larger, more ornate blade with a slanted tip and a tasseled handguard. He held up his sword as he continued to speak.

"The name of my Zanpakuto is Benihime, the Crimson Princess. This is her true form. Each Zanpakuto takes on a form most suited to its abilities and personality. Once released from its sealed state, a Zanpakuto grows far more powerful than in its sealed sword form." Kisuke grinned and pointed at Link's weapon again. "A plain old sharpened chunk of metal like that has no chance of standing up a Zanpakuto, or even an attack from a powerful Hollow. Now the Master Sword, on the other hand, is said to be a legendary weapon that evil cannot even touch, so I'm guessing that it's been imbued with special power from this world of some sort?"

"You could say that. It was forged by the ancient sages with the power of the goddesses to repel evil. I've personally seen it dispel evil curses and defeat powerful enemies. Other than that, I'm not sure it has any special powers."

"It is a holy weapon." Zelda said, speaking for the first time in a while. "It may not transform like your weapons, but its power is greater than any weapon in Hyrule. Since ancient times the Master Sword has lent its power to the heroes of Hyrule. Its power will prove to be more than equal to your world's Zanpakuto, Kisuke Urahara."

"That's good to hear!" Kisuke answered. "Well Link, we really should get going, but make sure to go prepared. You should retrieve the Master Sword and anything else you want to bring along with you for the journey." I'll be waiting here at the castle until you're ready.

_**The Next Day…**_

Link returned to Hyrule Castle just after sunset. He had traveled to the Sacred Grove and pulled the Master Sword from the stone where it had rested for over a hundred years before he pulled it out the first time. When he first laid eyes on the ancient weapon of heroes, Link had surprisingly felt a little melancholy. He had really hoped that after defeating Zant and then Gannondorf, he would have been able to live out the rest of his life enjoying the peace that he and his friends had won. But any feelings of regret were washed away as he once again held the blade that had enabled him to win that peace in the first place. As much as Link loved the simple life, he also loved the people of Hyrule, and as a chosen Hero he would do anything to protect them. And he secretly had to admit that he had enjoyed the adventures he had during what was now being referred to as the Twilight Invasion, even though his life _had_ been in peril most of the time.

Link also retrieved the Hylian shield and all of his gear that he had accumulated during his adventures. Well, almost all of it. He didn't really think he would need a slingshot, and he had given that to Talo and Malo after they all returned to Ordon Village anyway. And as much as he wanted to take his fishing rod, he felt it would be better not to let himself get distracted during such an important quest. Zelda had told him on more than a few occasions that she thought he spent a little too much time at Hena's fishing hole. Link had asked the princess to go fishing with him a couple of times, but she had shown little interest. Link assumed it was because fishing was just one of those things that princesses didn't do, but Telma had jokingly told him once that it was because Zelda was probably jealous of the way Hena flirted with him.

All of his other gear was safely stowed away in his pack, though. And after saying his goodbyes to all of his friends, Link returned to the castle to find Kisuke waiting for him, just as he said. Actually, when Link looked a little closer he could have sworn that the hat-and-clogs-wearing man was standing in the _exact same spot,_ in the _exact same position._ He couldn't help but wonder if he had been standing there like that all night and day…no, it had to be his imagination. As he approached the throne, Kisuke stepped forward to greet him.

"Well, hero, are you feeling ready to travel to another world?"

"I've done this before, you know." Link replied.

"That's very true, and it looks like you have a lot of equipment packed for the trip. And here I was certain that you'd the type to travel light."

"Actually, I _do_ travel light, in a manner of speaking." Link smiled as he replied. "This magical pack keeps my gear safe and ready to use while making it light as a feather."

"Hmm, now that's a very interesting idea…" Link could almost see the gears in Kisuke's head turning as he eyed his pack. "For another time. For now, it's time to go!"

Kisuke clapped his hands and suddenly three people jumped out from behind the pillars of the throne room. One was a tall man, dressed in a fancy-looking suit with a top hat. His hair was long, and on one side it was blonde but on the other side it was jet black. The second new arrival was a thin man wearing an exotic martial-artist's outfit with a hood and mask that obscured all of his face except his eyes and a few tufts of red hair. The third was a young girl with short blonde hair who was wearing a pink dress. Kisuke flipped out his fan as he held out his other hand toward the odd-looking trio.

"Allow me to introduce some friends of mine, this is Kurodo."

"Pleased to meet you, Master Link." The fancy-looking man said as he bowed politely.

"This is Noba."

"Hmm." Was all the masked man said.

"He's a little shy, that's all." Kurodo explained.

"And this is Ririn." Said Kisuke, pointing to the girl.

Ririn giggled and grinned at Link. Something about her mannerisms reminded him just a little of Midna. "Hey there, Mr. Hero!" She twirled and skipped in a circle around Link. "Wow, you're kinda cute! Not like Ichigo, but still…"

"Now Ririn, this is hardly the way to act in front of a legendary hero and a princess." Kurodo chided her.

"Oh, so you're a princess, huh?" Ririn started to bounce all around Zelda as she inspected her. "Yep, you sure look like a princess with that pretty dress and those jewels and that crown…" Zelda said nothing as the little girl giggled and jumped. While she was a kind and gentle soul, she never had much experience in dealing with children.

"Alright, that's enough, Ririn." Kisuke called out. "It's time to prepare the Garganta."

"Right!" The three all called out in unison.

Ririn, Kurodo and Noba stepped back behind the pillars and dragged out two small stone cylinders that looked like miniature pillars themselves. They placed them at either side of the walkway at the bottom of the stairs. Kisuke snapped his fingers, and a black tear started to open in the space between them. Link reflexively took a step back, for he recognized the portal as the same kind that the Hollow had used to enter their world at the Spirit's Spring in Ordon.

"It's alright." Said Kisuke, sensing Link's apprehension. "This is called a Garganta. It's the gateway that the Hollows use to move in and out of Hueco Mundo, the realm of the Hollows. Normally, Soul Reapers use a gateway called a Senkaimon, but that only goes in and out of the Soul Society, so it wouldn't be much use in this case. A Senkaimon is a special pathway to the Soul Society, but a Garganta is a tear in the barrier between worlds. I learned to open a Garganta so that some friends of mine could go to Hueco Mundo to rescue someone they cared about, but a Garganta can lead to any world. This portal will take you to the World of the Living, to a place called Karakura Town. I'll meet you there and then we can start going over our plans for how to confront the evil power. Are you ready?"

Link nodded. "I'm ready, send me through!"

Zelda stepped forward and grasped Link's hand. "Link, I would wish you the best luck on your journey, but I know that you will succeed. You are the Hero chosen by the Goddesses, savior of Hyrule, and…" here the princess smiled softly and leaned in closer. "You are my hero as well." Before Link fully realized what was happening, Zelda pressed her delicate lips against his and kissed him. It was exactly the kind of kiss one would expect from a princess, soft and gentle, and Link was afraid that if he moved a muscle he would somehow ruin this delicate moment. All he could do was move his lips to gently kiss her back.

Zelda gracefully drew her lips away and stood up straight and regal again, but held onto Link's hand for a moment longer. "Until you return, Link." She said. Link blushed, then smiled and nodded, and turned back to the darkness staring at him through the Garganta. He rushed forward and into the portal. As he dashed through the tear in reality, Kisuke called out to him.

"Link, wait! I haven't told you how to navigate the Garganta yet! You have to…"

But it was too late. The green-clad Hylian was already gone. Kisuke sighed as the portal began to close.

"Ahh, so different, and yet so alike."

**Thanks for waiting for this chapter, an I'm sorry for the lack of action :) I think the idea of a Garganta opening into multiple worlds makes sense, as Hollows are able to enter the World of the Living, the Soul Society, and even the Dangai at will. I'm glad to see that people are reading/following this story, and keep the reviews and suggestions coming! Until Next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Spirit of the Ancient Blade**

**All right! After the last chapter, I was on a roll, so I went ahead and knocked out this one. **** I want to thank everyone for their reviews and advice. I realize I was a little long-winded in the last chapter, and hopefully that won't be the case here, but this is still more of a "conversational" chapter. Don't worry, though, Link and Ichigo will be kicking butt again very soon!**

**As always, I own neither Bleach nor Legend of Zelda.**

_**Inside the Garganta…**_

Link looked around in confusion. Everything was pitch black. He had expected to be instantly transported to this Karakura Town, but instead the portal had just closed as he dashed in, and now he was standing alone in a sea of blackness. He didn't want to move, as he wasn't entirely sure what was holding him up in the first place, and he didn't want to accidentally step off a ledge (if indeed there was any ground at all) and plunge into oblivion.

"_Rats, what was it Kisuke tried to yell at me when I was running through the portal? I really wish he'd told me about this _before_ I jumped into that black hole."_

Link decided to try out his equipment. The first thing that came to mind was his lantern. He pulled it out and lit it, but the light seemed to stop at the lantern itself. Not wanting to waste the oil, he put it out and decided to try something else. He threw the gale boomerang randomly around a couple of times, but there seemed to be no substance to this strange realm. Link was getting frustrated. He wondered if, since this was the portal used by those Hollows, which were clearly evil creatures, the Master Sword could somehow cut through the darkness that surrounded him. He drew his blade and held it out in front of him, but nothing happened. That was the last straw. Link sat down, still holding the Master Sword and decided that there was nothing to do but wait and hope that if Kisuke and his friends were following him, that they would somehow end up in the same area of nothingness as him.

But as Link sat there, a light emanated from the Master Sword. It was a quick blink, then it was gone. He stared at the magical blade, wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him now. But there it was again, another blink of light, then another, and another. The Master Sword began to flash with a soft, white light at increasingly rapid intervals. Link stood up and raised the Master Sword. The flashes grew faster until the blade was shining with a solid white light. Then, the light seemed to leap from the sword and there was a flash of light so bright Link had to shield his eyes for a moment. When he opened his eyes, there in front of him was what looked like a young woman. She floated in the air directly in front of Link, and for a moment the two of them did nothing but stare at each other.

The floating girl looked like a spirit of some sort. Her face looked like it had been carved from a pure blue gemstone. She wore a purple dress that was cut well above her knees, and a cape that covered her shoulders and fell down her back. The right half of the cape was purple too, but the left half was blue like her face. Her legs were covered by what looked like stockings that were covered in a diamond pattern in the same blue and purple colors. The strangest thing about her was that while her cape moved and floated as if held up by her arms, she had no arms or hands that Link could see, so it looked like she had empty sleeves. She stared at Link with solid blue eyes that he could tell were looking directly into his even though she had no pupils. Surprisingly, Link was the first one to break the silence.

"Who...Who are you?" was all he could think to say for now.

"Analysis complete." was all the spirit said in reply. Link didn't have time to be puzzled by this response, though, as she continued to speak. "Subject, Link, 100% match. You are the Chosen Hero, wielder of the Master Sword. I am called Fi, I am the spirit placed within the Master Sword by the Goddess to aid the Chosen Hero. I have been reawakened in this hostile environment to assist you, Link."

"You're…the spirit of the Master Sword?" Link asked. "Why haven't you appeared before?"

"I have been...deactivated…or more accurately, dead, for an unknown amount of time. I was placed within the Master Sword before it was completely forged by the Goddess to aid the Chosen Hero in his quest. When his task was complete, my reason for being was also completed, and my spirit faded away."

"Then what brought you back?"

"…..Answer unavailable at this time. There is an 84% probability that I was somehow reactivated by your need for assistance in this extreme situation."

"Wait, so you can help me get out of this black nothingness?"

"There is a 97% chance that I will be able to guide you out safely, Link."

"Well then, let's get to it! What did you say your name was? Oh, that's right, Fi!" Link held out his hand to her, but Fi only stared at him. Link realized that he had forgotten that she apparently had no arms.

"Oh, uh… sorry Fi. What can you do to get us out of here?"

"I can only guide you, Link. It is you who must get us out of here. This entire dimension is composed of a chaotic mass of spirit energy. I surmise that there is a 93% probability that if focused, this spirit energy could be formed into a solid pathway."

"What does that mean? I don't even know how to do stuff like that, I never learned anything about magic!"

"I do not believe that it will be difficult for you, Link. Simply focus your mind and will the spirit energy into a path."

"Alright, I'll give it a try."

Link tried to focus all his thoughts onto creating a pathway. _"I don't care what that sword-spirit-thing says,"_ he thought. _"This is a lot harder than she seems to think it is…"_ But after a few moments of intense concentration, what looked like a thin sheet of ice began to form at his feet.

"Excellent progress, Link." said Fi. "Now you must form the spirit energy into the path ahead of you."

Link continued to focus, and to his surprise, the "ice" began to expand and form a straight path in front of him. Carefully, he took a small step forward. He was again surprised as the path held and didn't break or dissipate at he set foot on it. Emboldened by his success, Link began to take larger steps, taking care not to stop focusing, and soon he was walking along at a brisk pace. He found that as he became more familiar with the process, he could actually look up from his feet and still keep going. He turned to Fi, who was still floating beside him, and decided to ask her some more questions.

"Hey, Fi, how did you know how to get around in here? Have you been here before?"

"Negative, Link. I have never traveled through this dimension before. I cannot leave the Master Sword. I was created to aid the Chosen Hero, and thus I have the ability to analyze any situation and calculate the most logical course of action."

"Well, that's interesting. Wait, you wouldn't happen to know anything about this evil power that Kisuke Urahara was talking about, would you?"

"I have not had sufficient opportunity to analyze the situation, therefore any predictions I might propose would only have a 32% accuracy rating. Such a low accuracy rating is unacceptable, therefore I will withhold opinion until I have conducted further analysis."

"Ok, just thought I'd ask."

"Link?" Fi stopped and looked at him. If her eyes hadn't been completely blank blue orbs Link would have sworn that she looked like she was feeling nervous.

"Yeah?"

"I…wanted to thank you for awakening me."

"Uh, sure. I didn't really do anything, though. You just kind of appeared."

"Yes, but before, when I was first created, I felt nothing. As I aided the Chosen Hero in his task, I came to understand the feeling of happiness. He made me happy, and now that I have reawakened, I feel…happy once again. So, thank you, Link"

Link still wasn't entirely sure that he deserved Fi's thanks, but he nodded his head and answered.

"You're welcome, Fi. I'm happy that I met you."

"Link?" Fi stopped moving again.

"Yes?"

"We have arrived."

Link looked ahead, and almost lost his concentration at what he saw. They had come to what could only be the other end of the portal. Before him was a hole in the darkness that looked out into what he could only hope was Karakura Town. Looking through the Garganta in from the outside was like looking into a black hole, but looking out from inside it at the real world was like looking through a window in a pitch black room. Through the hole he could see what appeared to be buildings made of shining metal, some of which looked as large as Hyrule Castle itself. There were roads of flat stone, and Link could see rapidly moving mechanical –looking things moving very fast along these stone roads. He could see tiny dots moving around like ants on a mound, and he guessed that those were the people that lived in this strange place. Scattered throughout the town were patches of green fields, some of which contained groups of trees. Link looked directly below him, and saw that the Garganta had opened not far above the ground over one of these green, planted fields. It was higher than he preferred to jump, but as Link saw no other way to get down he turned to Fi and decided to ask her advice.

"Do you think it will be safe to jump down there?"

"I calculate a 98.6% chance of survival if you decided to jump, Link."

Link nodded and got ready to jump for it. "That's good enough for me!" he said.

"However," Fi continued. "There is a 22% chance you could incur permanent injuries upon your landing."

"Aw, thanks for that information, Fi!" Link groaned.

"You are welcome, Link." Clearly she did not understand sarcasm.

"_Well, there's nothing for it! I've got to jump."_ Thought Link. So the bearer of the Triforce of Courage steeled himself and leapt from the Garganta.

**Well, I hope that wasn't too boring, I realize that I've had two chapters without any action, but you can see why I didn't want to just skip to Karakura Town, right?**

**I also realize that adding Fi into the story was probably unexpected, but I really felt that having the spirit of the Master Sword manifest would fit in well as Link enters the Bleach universe.**

**Some of you have asked if Midna will appear in this story. The answer is yes, she will definitely show up at some point in the future, I'm just not quite there yet. If anyone has any thoughts on the best way to bring her into the story, let me know, because I'm not sure what I had planned out to bring her in is all that great.**

**As always, let me know how I'm doing! I think this is going pretty well for a first story, and I'm going to keep improving it as I go.**

**It shouldn't be too long until the next chapter, I've been trying to make sure to devote more time to writing. Until next chapter!**


	5. I have returned!

Hello readers! I have to say I'm SOOOO sorry for the long time I've been absent from . Please understand, my absence was not of my choosing! My computer died on me a couple of weeks ago. As in, totally fried. I have been unable to access a computer other than my work computer for over a month now. But fortunately, I was already in the process of buying parts to build a new comp, and now I'm back! Expect the next chapter by the end of this week. Thank you all for reading my first story, I'm glad I can now continue to work on it and share it with you!


	6. Chapter 5

**Alright! I know this has been a long time coming, but Chapter 5 is finally up! I'm sorry for taking so long to get back into the swing of things here, but as I said at the beginning I have no intention of abandoning this story. I hope that you all enjoy this latest chapter as our two heroes meet for the first time!**

**Chapter 5: Evil's Bane and Slaying Moon**

Ichigo and Rukia were surrounded by Hollows. No matter how many they killed, it seemed like a dozen more were there to take the place of every one that fell. Rukia leapt from the rooftop she'd been standing on and held her hand out as she shouted:

"Hado 33: Sokatsui!"

A ball of blue flame shot from her palm and disintegrated a Hollow on impact. Rukia landed on the street next to Ichigo, who had just destroyed two Hollows with a single slash with Zangetsu.

"Ichigo!" she called out. "They just keep coming; we're not having any effect at all!"

"Damn it!" shouted Ichigo as he dispatched another Hollow with his massive blade. "Where are they all coming from? I haven't seen this many Hollows since that time Uryu challenged me!"

Rukia didn't have time to reply. At least 40 Hollows were leaping towards them, jaws and claws open. Just as the Hollows were about to reach their target, a hail of glowing blue arrows rained down into their ranks, wiping them out in an instant. Ichigo looked in the direction the deadly barrage had come from. He recognized the attack instantly, of course, and he wasn't at all surprised to see his friend Uryu Ishida standing on a nearby rooftop. The dark-haired youth was wearing his usual white Quicny outfit and glasses, and his glowing Quincy bow Ginrei Kojaku was held at the ready. Standing next to him were Chad and Orihime, which also didn't surprise Ichigo. What did surprise him was that Jinta and Ururu from Urahara's shop were also there. Jinta had his bat hefted over his shoulder and Ururu was carrying her over-sized cannon. All five of them jumped down from the roof and ran over to where Ichigo and Rukia were fighting.

"Ichigo!" Uryu shouted. "What the hell is going on here?!"

"Why are there so many Hollows?" Orihime said in a worried voice.

"We have no idea." Rukia answered.

"Yeah, what she said." Ichigo replied. "But since you're all here, why don't you make yourselves useful and help us get rid of them?"

"That's what I was just doing!" Uryu retorted.

Chad suddenly pushed past both of them and shouted "El Directo!" A particularly large Hollow had started to rush towards them, but Chad's powerful blast of blue energy fired from his armored right arm not only destroyed that Hollow, it continued on and disintegrated several more that were coming up behind it. He turned towards his feuding friends and spoke in his usual calm, almost monotone voice.

"You guys, this is no time to be arguing. We need to get rid of these Hollows."

"Please stand back." said little Ururu as she stepped forward with her cannon. She proceeded to bombard the incoming Hollows with explosive projectiles, wiping out almost as many as Uryu had with his arrows.

Ichigo and Uryu decided to forget their friendly rivalry for the moment and keep fighting. As the team charged forward to drive back the swarm of Hollows, Jinta shouted to Ichigo.

"Hey, carrot-top!" Ichigo glared at the red-haired boy upon hearing that annoying nickname, but Jinta took no notice. "Tessai sent us here because the boss is away on some important business, but he wanted to let you know that there's a Garganta opening in the park, and…"

He wasn't able to finish his sentence, as a grasshopper-shaped Hollow crashed into him and knocked him down. Jinta got up and waited until the Hollow charged again, then swung his massive bat while yelling out his signature battle cry; "Jinta Home Run!"

The Hollow was destroyed, and Jinta looked back to where Ichigo had been, but the spiky-headed Substitute Soul Reaper was nowhere to be seen. "Ah, whatever." said Jinta as he turned to face more Hollows.

Ichigo heard Jinta say that there was a Garganta opening in the park, but then the younger boy was attacked by a Hollow. Ichigo knew that he'd be fine, he'd heard about all the fighting that Jinta and Ururu had done while hanging out with that ridiculous Don Kanonji. As hard as it was to believe, Ichigo had heard that Don Kanonji and his "Karakura Super Heroes" had done more to defend Karakura Town than the Soul Reaper who had replaced Rukia as the protector of this town. Ichigo could never remember his name, so he always just referred to him as "Afro Dude," the name Keigo had given him.

"_Where is Afro Dude right now, anyway?"_ thought Ichigo. _"That guy is totally useless."_

Ichigo flash-stepped as quickly as he could and reached the park. Sure enough, there was a Garganta sitting open just above the soccer field where Karin and her friends usually played. Ichigo could see that something had just exited the gaping hole and plunged to the ground in a cloud of dust. Even though he couldn't see what had just landed there, he could most definitely feel it. A massive wave of spiritual pressure hit him like he hadn't felt in a long time. Rukia was right; this spiritual pressure was easily equal to that of a Captain-level Soul Reaper. Of course, after his fight with Aizen not much was able to faze Ichigo, and since he had gotten his powers back he had been able to spar on even ground with the most powerful Captains (although he still avoided getting into fights with Kenpachi at all cost).

This spiritual pressure was different, though. Ichigo still wasn't all that good at detecting and identifying spiritual pressure, but at least he could tell the difference between a Soul Reaper and a Hollow or Arrancar. He could also recognize spiritual pressure he'd felt before, and this was entirely new to him. Ichigo walked toward the cloud of dust, Zangetsu held at his side. As the air began to clear he could make out two strange-looking figures standing in the middle of the soccer field. One was about his height and wearing a strange, medieval-looking green outfit with a cap so long that it reached the middle of his back. Ichigo could see the handle of a sword sticking up from a scabbard on his back, and it looked like he had a shield strapped to his back as well. Next to him a small, feminine figure was hovering in midair. This little girl (at least, Ichigo was pretty sure it was a girl) looked equally strange, with her blue and purple cape and diamond-patterned stockings, but what disturbed Ichigo the most was her blank, almost mannequin-like face. It reminded him of the lure that Grand Fisher had used to trick him on the day his mother died.

The two intruders just now seemed to notice Ichigo, as they both looked toward him. He held up Zangetsu in ready stance, preparing himself for any sudden assault. Ichigo called out to them.

"Just who the hell are you guys, and what are you doing here?"

"Who are you?" the green-clad one called back. "Is this Karakura Town?"

"None of your business!" replied Ichigo. "Not until you tell me what's going on here!"

Pointy-Hat (as Ichigo was mentally calling the green-clad intruder) turned to the girl and seemed to be asking her something. Ichigo wasn't quite close enough to hear what they were saying, so he took a few quick steps closer and shouted out again.

"I said, who are you and what are you doing here?"

Ichigo raised Zangetsu, hoping to get their attention. Pointy-Hat quickly reached behind him and drew his sword and shield. He called out to the girl.

"Fi, can you tell me anything about this guy?"

The girl looked at Ichigo with a most disconcerting stare; then turned back to her companion.

"Insufficient data, but I do sense an extremely high level of spirit energy emanating from him. Threat level analysis indicates a high level of danger."

Ichigo decided (as he usually did) that the best course of action was to try and eliminate the threat before they had a chance to react. He shouted at the intruders.

"Alright, if you're not gonna give me an answer, then I guess I'll have to beat it out of you!"

And with that, Ichigo leapt forward with his Zanpakuto held high above his head. As he attacked, the girl vanished _into_ the sword that Pointy-Hat was carrying. Even as he sailed through the air towards his opponent, Ichigo couldn't help but be surprised.

"_She went into the blade! Does that mean that guy's sword is… a Zanpakuto?"_

Ichigo came down and brought Zangetsu crashing down toward his foe's head. But at the last second, Pointy-Hat launched himself airborne in a perfect back flip, and Ichigo's weapon sliced into the turf of the soccer field instead. As soon as he hit the ground, Pointy-Hat leapt forward himself in almost the same attack Ichigo had just used. Ichigo barely had time to raise Zangetsu and block the incoming blade. He was surprised by the amount of strength behind the attack, as his enemy's sword was much smaller than his own and held with only one hand. Ichigo could sense an incredible amount of power coming from his opponent's blade, but it didn't feel like any Soul Reaper or Arrancar's Zanpakuto.

**Link's Point of View:**

Link gritted his teeth as the black-garbed warrior blocked his attack. He'd seen enemies with massive swords before, but none that wielded them with as much speed as the foe he now faced. Almost as soon as he'd jumped from the Garganta, he'd been confronted by this hot-tempered swordsman who looked about his age, but was wearing an all-black uniform and hefting a gigantic cleaver-shaped blade. When the stranger asked Link to identify himself, he had asked Fi if she knew anything about whether he was on Kisuke's side or if he was with the evil power they had been sent to fight. Of course, Fi had just said "insufficient data available at this time," so Link decided that it would be wiser not to inform the orange-haired boy of his plans until he met up with Kisuke again.

But his attitude had grown more and more hostile, and when he raised his sword, Link's warrior training took over and he prepared for a fight. Now their blades were locked and he was wondering if his opponent had any armor on under that uniform, because if he didn't it was going to be one very short fight.

**Ichigo and Link's POV:**

Ichigo shoved Link back with his blade and swung sideways at him. Link blocked with his Hylian shield. Ichigo was surprised that a seemingly ordinary shield could block a blow from a Zanpakuto at all, and he wondered if the shield was actually part of his enemy's Zanpakuto. Link was fast and immediately countered by stabbing with the Master Sword. But Ichigo was fast too, and once again he deflected the strike with Zangetsu. Link rolled around and spun his blade upward in his deadly back slice maneuver. His sword point came within an inch of Ichigo's back before the Soul Reaper managed to bring his Zanpakuto around and deflect it. Ichigo raised Zangetsu over his head and prepared to strike before Link could bring his sword back into position. But as he was about to swing downward, Link struck out not with the Master Sword, but with his shield, bashing a very surprised Ichigo right in the face.

As Ichigo reeled from the surprise attack, Link did an aerial forward flip and brought his sword down straight toward Ichigo's head. As his head snapped backward from the shield blow, Ichigo saw the blade coming at him. There was no time to block the attack, so he pushed off the ground in a backward flip, barely dodging what would certainly have been a fatal blow. Ichigo kicked out with both feet as he spun through the air, catching Link in the stomach and knocking him backward several feet. Link crashed into the ground and slid several feet through the turf before stopping himself and jumping back to his feet. Ichigo landed on his face after his aerial double kick, and he too jumped to his feet.

Now they were standing about twenty feet apart. Both heroes were panting a little, but neither had managed to inflict serious injury on the other. Link decided to try something different. He reached into his pack and grabbed the gale boomerang; then he rushed forward and hurled it at Ichigo. Ichigo quickly deflected it with Zangetsu and charged forward as the boomerang spun off behind him. As he and Link came back into striking distance, he heard a rush of wind behind him, and out of the corner of his eye he could see the boomerang coming back toward him. At the same time, Link lunged at Ichigo with the Master Sword pointed straight at his face. There was no way to block both attacks, so all Ichigo could do was flash-step upward and avoid having to choose between being stabbed or bludgeoned. Ichigo was now standing in midair about thirty feet above Link. It was now Link's turn to be surprised; he had no idea that his opponent could do something like that.

"_Time to finish this."_ Ichigo thought to himself. He raised Zangetsu and shouted with all his might.

"Getsuga...TENSHO!"

Link heard him call out this strange battle cry, but then saw a huge, crescent-shaped blue wave of energy headed straight for him. Link raised the Hylian shield and threw all his weight behind it as the attack connected. The energy wave slammed into his shield and Link felt as if he would be smashed into the ground by the sheer force of the impact. But the ancient shield held, and with a shout of extreme effort Link thrust the shield forward, sending the energy attack back in the direction it came from. Ichigo saw his Getsuga Tensho strike his enemy's shield, but he was totally unprepared to see it heading straight back at him a second later.

"No way!" he said out loud just before his own attack slammed into his own raised sword.

Fortunately for Ichigo, Zangetsu was more than able to deflect its own attack. Ichigo stared in disbelief at Link. How was this weird-looking guy able to stand up to him when he clearly couldn't use flash-step or fly, and didn't even seem to be using Shikai with his strange Zanpakuto. Ichigo knew that everyone fighting the Hollows on the other side of town would be able to sense what was going on, especially if he decided to use it, but he didn't see much choice. He held Zangetsu our straight in front of him. His spirit energy burst up like blue flame all around him. Down on the ground Link readied his sword and shield again, not knowing what was coming next. Ichigo gritted his teeth and shouted one word.

"BANKAI!"

**Well, it looks like things are getting serious! Again, I'm sorry it's been so long between the last chapter and now. I will be updating more regularly now that things are (more or less) back to normal for me :) Please read and review! **


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